Portable high-chair attachment for chairs



5, 1960 J. ALDEN, SR 2,919,748

PORTABLE HIGH-CHAIR ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS Filed Nov. 18.- 1957 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 John Alden, Sr.

I 32 INVENTOR.

Fig.4

Jan. 5, 1960 J. ALDEN, SR 2,919,748

PORTABLE HIGHQCHAIR ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS Filed Nov. 18, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

52 449 John Alden, Sr

5 INVENTOR.

9 BY ygwmdzm United States atent fihce 2,9l9,748 Patented Jan. 5, 1960 PORTABLE HIGH-CHAIR ATTACHMEN FOR CHAIRS John Alden, Sr., Collingdale, Pa.

Application November 18, 1957, Serial No. 697,007

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-189) The present invention relates to a novel and highly useful readily applicable and removable attachment which, when applied atop the seat of a chair temporarily Wise, with a conventional-type high-chair. Therefore,

and with this attachment one has at her disposal a stepstool on the one hand and a high-chair on the other, making it practical to employ the over-all structure as a high-chair whenever necessary or desired, or to simply detach the attachment with the result that a step-stooltype chair is also available and ready for use. This construction has proved out to bean ideal and economical adaptation for the family living in restricted quarters and where available space is often at apremium.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention a small table, say one of kidney-shape in plan is utilized and has the function of that part called the tray on the ordinary high-chair. A simple and practical supporting and attaching frame serves to support the table and permits it to be adjusted toward and from the backrest of the chair and by providing the table with practical clamping means, it is readily attachable and detachable.

A strap-type harness or equivalent means is employed to fasten the frame on the seat of the chair.

The invention also features applicable and removable side walls which preferably take the form of simple and launderable slip-covers. These may vary in form and they are attached to the sides of the frame and cover or shield what would otherwise-be side openings, thus providing a more reliable and safe enclosure when the occupant of the chair is at the age Where all necessary safeguards and fool-proofing accessories are preferably used. 1 7

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a step-stool-type kitchen chair with the novel attachment applied thereto and converting it into a handy, practical and successful highchair.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view with parts in section taken on the plane of the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

taken on the irregular vertical line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan of one end portion of the construction illustrating one of the pivoted spring-biased clamps carried by the table for attaching an end portion thereof to a cooperating part of the frame.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view wherein all of the components are shown in their cooperative relationship and wherein two forms of slip-covers A and B are shown; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective showing how, if desired, the attachment may be applied to an ordinary kitchen chair.

With reference first to Fig. l the chair is denoted generally by the numeral 8 and isv characterized by a leg supported bottom or seat 10, pulled-away steps '12 and a backrest 14.

With reference now to Fig. 5 the kidney-shaped or equivalent table is denoted by the numeral 16 and this comprises a wooden or an equivalent panel (Figs. 2 and 3) 18 with a plastic covering 20, for example Micarta. There is a polished metal band 22 forming a molding around the edge.

The bottom of this readily applicable and removable table is provided with suitable clamping and retaining means. The means may vary but in the form seen in the drawing in Fig. 4 for example, a clamping member 24 has a suitably shaped retaining jaw 26 and a tripable finger piece 28 suitably hinged at 30 on an appropriate bracket 32, the hinge having spring means 34 incorporated therein to normally press the jaw to its clamp-- ing position. The finger piece 29 in Fig. 3 is suitably bent for clearance and easy use in applying and removing the table as shown in full and dotted lines respectively. The supporting and attaching frame is perhaps best seen in Fig. 5 wherein it will be observed that it is constructed from tubular metal, that is a length of tubing which is bent upon itself to form a triple-U frame structure. There is a horizontal or base frame 34 having a bight portion 36 and spaced parallel arms 38 which Fig. 3 is a section looking from left to right and rest atop the marginal portions of the chair seat. The vertical bends 4t) and return-bent extensions or portions 42 provide vertical U-shaped members 44 wherein the aforementioned limbs or members 38 provide portions thereof. In other words the portions 38 serve as limbs for the U 34 and also as the lower limbs for the vertical U-shaped members 44. The numerals 46 designate suitable cap-like bumpers to engage the backrest as seen in Fig. 1. The vertical U-shaped members 44 serve as sides or arms and also support the table which is readily applicable and removable in an obvious manner. That is to say the jaws 26 of the clamps 24 releasably engage the arms or limbs 42.

Suitable means is employed for attaching the frame to the chair. The means is preferably a harness made up of a transverse strap 48 having at least one end 50 attached to the cooperating limb 38 and the other end provided as seen in Fig. 3 with a buckle 52 attachable to an auxiliary strap 54 carried on the adjacent limb as at 56. The central portion of the cross strap 48 is fastened at 58 to the longitudinal companion strap 60 thus providing a cruciform strap arrangement. The free end 62 of the strap 60 has snap fasteners to engage companion snap fasteners provided on a strap (Fig. 3) 64 secured to the bottom of the table.

A similar arrangement is provided at the right hand end of the longitudinal strap where a buckle or the like 66 provides a connection with an anchoring strap 68 looped at 70 around the bight portion of the frame 34.

The sides or protective walls are optional. The one at A in Fig. 5 at the left comprises a suitable piece of cloth appropriately shaped as denoted at 72 and having an attaching loop 74 and having a hem 76 with snap fasteners 78. This can be slid on or ofl and suitable clearance notches are provided to accommodate the strap means. The slip cover B at the right is basically the same and is preferably made of cloth 80 having an attaching loop 82 and properly shaped and provided with snap fasteners 84.

The invention is of course the same as that already described in Fig. 6. The purpose of this figure is to show that the invention is sufficiently versa ile that it can be used on the seat 86 of a kitchen chair 88.

Fig. 5 shows all of the parts and how they are individually constructed. Fig. 1 shows the parts assembled to provide the over-all or complete ready-to-use attachment. Fig. 1 also shows how with the attachment on the step-stool-type chair 8 it is temporarily converted into a highchair. Fig. 6 shows the conversion of an ordinary chair. Pi 3 in conjunction with Fig. 2 shows the details of construction of the clamps and how they are applied and removed. Fig. 2 shows in dotted lines at the right how the shelf can be shifted from left to right to bring it closer to the backrest 14.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use on and in conjunction with a chair having a leg-supported seat and a backrest at the rear portion of said seat, a readily applicable and removable attachment for temporarily converting said chair into a highchair for a baby comprising a lightweight frame of triple- U-form, said frame embodying a horizontal U-shaped member having a bight portion adapted to rest upon and span the rear portion of the chairs seat and adapted to rest firmly against lower portion of a backrest attached to and rising from said seat and spaced coplanar horizontal arms adapted to rest firmly upon cooperating marginal edge portions of said seat, the forward ends of said arms being curved and directed upwardly and then extended rearwardly in spaced parallelism to provide upper arms in spaced parallelism above the first named arms, said upper arms and first named arms providing a pair of spaced vertically disposed U-shaped members,

said upper arms having free rear end portions provided with bumpers which are adapted to bear against the backrest, and a table-like shelf bridging the space between the respective upper arms and having end portions resting upon and projecting beyond the vertical U-shaped members, said table being provided on its underside and at its respective opposite ends with spring biased hingedly mounted clamping jaws adapted to releasably embrace portions of the upper arms rearwardly of the upwardly curved portion whereby to permit said table to be readily applied and removed and adjusted along the upper arms toward and from the backrest.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and in combination, strap means for releasably strapping said frame on the chair seat, said strap means comprising a first transverse strap having one end adjustably connected to a median portion of one of the first named arms, having the opposite end securing to a corresponding median portion of the other one of said first named arms, a second strap at right angles to the first named strap and constituting a longitudinal strap and having a rear end portion adjustably connected to the aforementioned bight portion, having a median portion secured to the median portion of said transverse strap and having a forward free end portion, said forward free end portion being detachably and adjustably connected with fastening means therefor mounted on the median underneath side of said table.

3. For use on a kitchen chair having a horizontal seat and a vertical backrest attached to and cooperable with said seat, a self-contained bodily applicable and removable baby chair attachment through the medium of which said kitchen chair may be temporarily converted into a high-chair and restored to a kitchen chair whenever necessary or desired, comprising a small size baby table having a flat top and adapted to be used in lieu of the usual dished tray, a baby restraining frame atop which said table rests and which has its end portions adjustably and detachably connectible to cooperating portiens of said frame, and strap means whereby said frame may be separably fastened atop said seat, said strap means embodying a transverse strap adapted to extend beneath and embrace a median portion of the seat of the kitchen chair and having its ends adjustably connected with portions of said frame, and a longitudinal strap disposed at right angles to the transverse strap and having a median portion joined to a cooperating median portion of the transverse strap, one end thereof being fastened adjustably to a cooperating part of said frame and the other end portion being curved and bent upon itself and connected separably and adjustably to a median part of the underneath side of said table, the forward end of the longitudinal strap having the return bent free end portion adjustabiy connected to the underneath side of said table providing a guard strap which may be straddled by the legs of the baby occupant of the seat.

4. The structure defined in claim 3, and wherein said frame is formed from a length of tubing bent upon itself to provide a horizontal U-shaped base and a pair of spaced vertical parallel U-shaped sides attached to and rising vertically from said base, the upper arms of said vertical Ushaped sides having rear end portions adapted to bear against a backrest, the elevation of the upper arms above the plane of the lower arms being restricted to accommodate the baby occupant and to properly fulfill the height of said table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,288,170 Pick Dec. 17, 1918 1,680,794 Lawler Aug. 14, 1928 2,229,411 Hughes Jan. 21, 1941 2,332,582 Kyncy Oct. 26, 1943 2,414,698 Picard Jan. 21, 1947 2,496,205 Cricb Jan. 31, 1950 2,633,899 Armstrong Apr. 7, 1953 2,667,207 Magyar Jan. 26, 1954 2,728,374 Whalen Dec. 27, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,139/27 -2 Sept. 12, 1927 

